Omar Apollo, whose real name is Omar Velasco, is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from rural Indiana, a place where a first-generation Mexican-American like Apollo would certainly stick out. And while reggaeton’s popularity seems to be infectious at the moment, Chicanos like Apollo still stick out in the American music scene as well, especially in the realms of alternative and r&b — Apollo’s bread and butter.

But of course, being Chicano, Apollo couldn’t just leave his bread and butter unseasoned, now could he? So Apollo did what he had to do and delivered his second EP, Friends, on April 10th to hungry listeners, stuffing it full with lush vocals, silky guitar textures, ear-pleasing harmonies, and addictive melodies. Although short at only seven songs, the EP is anything but one-note: you get your characteristic in-your-feels anthems like “Hearing Your Voice” (which would be well-suited in a Kevin Abstract record) and “Trouble,” a chill, perfect-for-a-kick-back, “Kick Back,” the titular, folk-esque “Friends,” and even some funk and groove-inspired tracks like “Ashamed” and “So Good.”

While all of the tracks are essentially love songs — that’s Omar Apollo for you — there’s also recurring motifs of change, how feelings develop over time, and growing older; I guess these are some fundamental aspects of relationships but nevertheless, it would not be a stretch to say that you’ll take out your headphones having enjoyed at least some aspect of the EP, even if you’re not the biggest fan of love songs or indie or R&B. If you have a little over 20 minutes to spare on a relaxing, weekend night, I promise it will be well spent in Omar Apollo’s company.

The post Album Review: Omar Apollo’s “Friends EP” appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It’s the middle of the night. Ginger has put the plane on auto pilot while he gets some sleep, and Esteban is passed out on one side of the plane. Since Martha had that little nap earlier in the car, she is wide awake, thinking about the day’s events.

Things haven’t been going so great for her. Anytime she takes a step forward, somehow she is always taking two giant steps back. Escaping the police after robbing Six Flags worries her. Getting away from them was easy. Too easy. Something has to go terribly wrong now and whatever that unknown wrong is, it frightens her.

To try to get her mind out of a pessimistic place, she decides to read one of her favorite books, The Gift by Richard Paul Evans.

Before they blew up the store in their hometown, they gathered up the items they truly needed to get them through the plan and gave it to Ginger to put in the plane right away. Esteban packed up his guitars and Martha gathered up all of her books and her buddy, Kevin.

Kevin is a stuffed Minion given to Martha by her friend for her birthday one year when they knew they wouldn’t see each other as often as they did. All of her friends know how much she loves Kevin and would never leave him behind, so judge her all you want, but Kevin had to come.

When they awake the next morning, Martha is a little tired from not getting enough sleep the night before but once she has some breakfast and juice in her she is ready to go. Esteban has been up for a couple of hours already, waiting for her to wake. He has already had his morning chocolate milk fix and is waiting for her to get settled.

Martha moves Kevin next to her, has a plate of cookies for breakfast balanced on her knee and a glass of Mountain Berry, and says, “Now what?”

“You’re eating cookies? For breakfast?”

“No shame, Esteban. No shame.”

“You should eat Poptarts. Poptarts are amazing!”

“What are we doing now?” She tries to get back on topic.

“You should eat the brown sugar ones .They’re the best!”

“Esteban, stop talking about poptarts and focus on the situation.”

“Well, we can’t do anything in the air. We’ll have to wait until we land in Africa. Where are we landing again?”

“Johannesburg.”

“Well, we’ve got a lot of time on our hands before we land so, what are we going to do?”

“That’s what I wanted to know!”

“I’m going to get myself some more chocolate milk. If we’re doing anything productive, then I’m going to need a little boost.”

Esteban goes to refill his glass of chocolate milk and comes back with Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and hands it to Martha saying, “Here. Apparently it’s happiness in a cup.”

“First you judge me on my cookies and now you are giving me ice cream? You make no sense,” she says as she eagerly takes the ice cream from him, “So, what are we going to do today?”

“I planned on watching some New Girl and maybe playing some guitar.”

“Wow, you’re boring.”

“What else do you expect me to do? We’re a thousand miles above ground. It’s not like I can go outside!”

“Nothing’s stopping you,” she laughs, “but seriously, this is like your twentieth time watching that show, how can it still be entertaining?”

“New Girl changes lives! It’s the best show around!”

“No, Friends is the best show around! Have you even tried watching it like I told you to?”

“I did! I just can’t do it! It’s like an older version of New Girl and I don’t like old shows!”

“It’s not that old!”

“Whatever, I’m still not going to watch it. What are you going to do today?”

“Probably read. I haven’t had much time to do that recently and I’ve got a lot of books to start.”

“How is reading any better than what I’m doing? If anything, it’s worse!”

“It’s not! You just haven’t found the right book; if you had one that interested you, you would actually like to read!”

“Reading is boring.”

“Read The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. I really think you’re going to like it.”

“I’m not going to read it.”

“It’s not that long! It’s only like 125 pages! That’s nothing!”

“It’ll still take me a year to finish. I’ll read the first page and never continue.”

They continue arguing about this for some time. Eventually, the conversation turns back them arguing about Friends and New Girl. Time passes quickly as they move through conversation after conversation, just talking away. They haven’t seen each other for a couple of weeks, and all they’ve talked about was the plan, so they had a lot of catching up to do.

****

They land in Johannesburg and head to a hotel in the middle of the city, thinking that it’s best to be in the middle of a large crowd than stand out among them. Once they got settled into their hotel rooms, Martha asked, “Now what?”

“Now it’s time to meet with our dealer.”

The post Escape to Africa-Part Two appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Have you ever woken up five minutes before your alarm went off and choose to lay in bed rather than getting up and starting your day? The lull of the soft warm blankets accompanied by the whispers of your dreams too tempting to resist? The cold air threatening enough to chill you to the bone and dispel the air out of your lungs? The soft glow of the sun and the murmurs of the birds all too relaxing for you to just ignore?

You choose to roll over in your bed, pulling the blankets up higher and relaxing deeper into the soft mattress, when a thought suddenly conjures itself to the front of your mind, disrupting your pleasantries and thinking, “My life fucking sucks.”

If you haven’t, then pat yourself on the back, and consider you and I mortal enemies.

My life, or my joke as I like to call it, is a collection of these unfortunate moments that the universe believes to be comical enough to drop them on my shoulders and see how I manage.

It’s as if I’m running down a dark corridor away from some malevolent being, my life, and with every step I take, corner I turn, and plea I shout, somehow turns itself around and knocks me down, only to get caught by that malevolent being in the end. However, right before the malevolent being grabs me, I somehow always manage to slip away and make a quick escape; surviving to fight another day. It’s quite an adventure but an interesting one nevertheless.

Which is why I think back and wonder who said college is a time for exploration, finding yourself, and having fun, because whoever said that, lied through their teeth and obviously never enrolled in an accredited university.

So far I have yet to explore without screaming bloody murder, I have yet to find myself in a pleasant situation and only unimaginable ones, and if you haven’t guessed by now, I am not having fun. I am helplessly running around trying to adult but failing horribly at it every step of the way.

It’s a constant game of trial and error, and well, I haven’t quite got the hang of it yet. The only thing I have managed to get the hang of is learning from my trails and errors by applying them to my future trials and tribulations in some mere hope that maybe, just maybe, I can dodge that malevolent being and one-up it for once in my life.

This, by some chance, now leaves me to say that if you somehow randomly stumbled upon this column, for unknown apparent reasons, to seek advice on how to adult, I’m sorry to admit, but I’m not the girl you’re looking for. I can barely adult myself so me trying to help you is like the blind leading the blind. We will get absolutely nowhere anytime soon. I’m sorry I can’t adult right, but I can share my experiences with you in hope that you can learn from my experiences and apply them to your own life in some form or fashion.

May God be with us all.

For daily updates on my catastrophes, follow me on:

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Walk In My Shoes is a bi-weekly column about a college student who doesn’t know what she wants to do after graduation but write award winning novels all while stumbling around helplessly in the world.

The post Walk In My Shoes: Pilot appeared first on KRUI Radio.

drinks, thinking they are the bomb. It’s a place where elders get together with their friends every morning for their cup of coffee and chat for hours on end. It’s a place where kids get their ice cream treats in the sticky summer months and hot chocolate in the frigid winter season after an evening of sledding. It’s a place where people buy chocolate for their honeys around the holidays and for their fathers for Father’s day. A coffeehouse is a place for all.

The small town of Waupun, Wisconsin doesn’t have a lot to offer its teenagers. In order for them to do anything remotely fun they have to go to their neighboring cities, Beaver Dam and Fond du Lac, and even then there isn’t much for them to do. The one good thing Waupun has to offer is End of the Trail. This place brings

happiness and joy to all who enter it. Well, I may be a little partial to it just because I’m a coffee addict. I live and breathe the stuff.  I can’t function throughout the day without having coffee to get me to the end of it. The people who work here know my name and my order when they see me walk through the door. An iced white chocolate mocha. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. They finish making my drink and I go to sit down in the corner table of the shop to wait for my friends to show.

They are always running late. Olivia has to pick Cole up because his parents have the car for the day and Cole usually takes his time picking out his outfit. He has to be fashionable at every moment of the day. Even on days like today, when he is just meeting us for coffee, he still has to look his best. And if he happens to figure out his outfit on time, it’s Olivia who is behind schedule. She believes that by being late to everything, it will make you take those opportunities you wouldn’t have had if you were one minute earlier.

But, that’s okay with me. I like sitting by myself, listening to my music, and people watching. It’s my happy place. After five minutes, and in the middle of Ships in the Night by Mat Kearney, Olivia walks in with cheeks rosy from the winter chill, and her long ginger hair is hanging down under her white knit hat and over her navy blue pea coat. She’s wearing her favorite comfy outfit: a flannel with dark blue jeans and boots. Cole walks in right behind her sporting a grey sweater with a blue plaid button down underneath it, so you can just see the collar of it, with blue jeans and converses. His ensemble goes perfectly with his light brown hair that is swooped up to give him the typical white guy haircut.

They find me at our usual corner table, put their stuff down, and they go to the counter to order. In a couple of minutes they return, with drinks in hand, discussing a book they are reading for AP English. Cole is the only one of us who likes coffee black. He says it makes him more of a man, even though he is far from it. Olivia can’t stand the taste of coffee and always gets a hot chocolate, even in summer.

“Nathan Price just needs to stop. He is getting in the way of everyone living in the Congo,” Olivia says.

“Like I get the whole trying to feel better about being the only survivor and all, but dragging your whole family there and wanting to arrange a marriage for one of your daughters to the head of the village just to gain peace is a bit ridiculous. And while they are all suffering, Nathan just turns his back. He can’t get his mind out of the bubble that he has created and I hate it,” Cole replies.

“What book is this?” I interject.

“The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver,” Olivia answers.

“It’s an awful book. Truly horrendous,” Cole adds, just as my phone lights up with a message, “Ooo, is that your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I blush.

“Oh, come on! You guys have been talking for months! You’re practically dating!” Olivia exclaims.

“We are not dating.” They both give me a look that tells me otherwise, but I ignore them like I always do.

“Aren’t you going to answer him?”

“No, he can wait.”

“OMG. You guys! Guess who’s pregnant this year?” Cole interrupts.

“Who?” Olivia and I say in unison.

“That junior, Madi Holden, and the baby daddy isn’t her boyfriend! It’s her boyfriend’s best friend!”

“Yes! It’s about time she got a wakeup call!” I say.

“Let’s hope this will teach her not to fool around with every guy in the entire school behind her boyfriend’s back,” Olivia says.

“How did he honestly not know that she was messing around behind his back?” I ask.

“Uh, because he was screwing every girl in the school, too,” Cole chuckles.

“Wow, are they perfect for each other or what?” Olivia laughs.

Just then a man walks into End of the Trail.  I recognize him from work. He usually comes into Hellen’s Kitchen on Thursday evenings and sits by himself. Even

though he harasses the waitresses, including me, while he ponders what to order, he usually gets the same thing: a cheeseburger without lettuce, fries and a chocolate shake. At work, we refer to this guy as Creepy Paul. He is of average height, short brown hair with a mustache and glasses, and he has a beer belly. For a small town, this guy is hard to avoid. He remembers my name and always asks my boss where I am when I’m not working. I’ve even seen him around the high school a couple of times too. He is the definition of creepy.

Cole and Olivia notice him too and we all fall quiet. We try to carry on a normal conversation for another half hour, but I notice Creepy Paul watching us the entire time. Eventually, we decided to leave and head to Cole’s house to hang out.

They leave before me, taking Main Street to Highway 49 to get to the small town of Alto where Cole lives. I had to quickly look at the message I received from Travis, the guy I’ve been talking to, before I met up with them again, and then I plugged my phone into my aux cord and continued playing Ships in the Night.

I wish I would’ve known that was the last time I would hear that song. And drink my favorite coffee beverage. And gossip about the people in my school. And see my friends again.

I wish I would have known that this was my last day here.

The post Pieces of the Puzzle-Introduction appeared first on KRUI Radio.

college heightens all these relationships and everything seems to move ten times faster. Before you know it you’re moving out of your freshman dorm room, applying to get into your major, celebrating your twenty-first and soon enough graduating. The moments we make along the way are the memories we will keep forever.

That being said, one of the most celebrated holidays in college is your twenty-first birthday (and yes, your birthday is a holiday! Celebrate you!). The college budget may not entail for you to go on a vacation with your besties or buy her the dermaroller gift you know she deserves. However, here are twenty-one ways you can create homemade gifts under a low budget that mean more than that expensive handbag she’s had her eyes on.

1. Attire

   

Time to go out with the full shebang. I’m talking sashes, tiaras, buttons, necklaces, maybe even a boa?

2. The Checklist

Every girl needs her checklist or bucket list for the night, you only turn twenty-one once.

3. Bar Crawl T-Shirts

So you’re in college and you decided to do a bar crawl to celebrate the big night, a very popular fashion statement are birthday bar crawl t-shirts. Friends wear these throughout the night and not only does it let everyone know it’s your birthday but it’s a great way not to loose anyone along the way-just look for everyone in the same shirt! Additionally, consider spicing things up with these corporate hampers to make the celebration even more memorable.

To add an extra touch of excitement to your birthday bar crawl, consider incorporating personalized gifts into the celebration. Alongside the popular birthday bar crawl t-shirts, custom face shirt offers a unique and memorable way to commemorate the occasion. Whether adorned with funny faces or inside jokes, these custom shirts add a fun and personalized element to the festivities.

4. Polaroids

   

She’s going to want memories from the night and you can’t expect her to remember to be taking pictures of everything. Designate someone or a group to carry around a camera or better yet a Polaroid camera to capture the night.

Tip: Makes for a killer scrapbook

5. Birthday Cake

   

Can’t celebrate without the cake, am I right ladies?

6. Beer Tower

   

She can finally drink! A beer tower is a classic way to gift plus takes less than ten minutes to put together making it an easy last minute gift.

7. 21 Remember When Sign

Gather all your friends and have them write down a memory or funny story they have shared with her

8. Clink N’ Drink

You’re going to need something to open those bottles

     9. Shot Book

Have each a friend make a page with a picture of them and the person turning twenty-one. The catch is everyone has to pick a different shot to put on his or her page.

    10. Personalized Cooler

Famously known as a gift given to a fraternity guy that asks you to formal, this can also work as a birthday gift

11. Paddles

One of the easier gifts to make: throw some glitter, rhinestones, and paint it however you want. Makes for a cute decoration to hang up in her room.

12. Bottle Cap Frame

A gift not a lot of people think of but super easy to make

13. 21 Wish Jar

Scribble on a piece of paper a wish you have for your lucky birthday girl and toss it in a jar. Do this with friends until there are 21 or put in more, the more wishes the merrier!

14. Shot Clock

A fun memento to hang in your kitchen. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

15. Personalized Chalkboard

    

There’s so many phrases to choose from

16. Snack Bottles

You’re going to need munchies for throughout the night (when you get home)!

17. Monopoly Board Game

    

Select her favorite shops, restaurants, and other places as the locations.

18. 21 Things We Love About You

Something to make remind her how loved she is.

19. Pick Something Out on Shutterfly

They have numerous things to choose from that you can personalize with your own pictures like mugs, travel mugs, fleece blankets, jewelry, iphone cases, and candles. You can also have a peek at this cuban link chain from statementcollective here if you’re looking for some quality jewelries!

For those seeking exquisite craftsmanship and unique designs in rings, Peacefield Titanium stands out as a premier company in Pennsylvania dedicated to creating exceptional jewelry. They understand that a ring is more than just a piece of jewelry; it symbolizes commitments, memories, and personal style. Whether you’re searching for a timeless wedding band, a distinctive statement ring, or a personalized gift, Peacefield Titanium offers a range of styles crafted from high-quality materials like titanium and precious metals.

Discover their collection and find a ring that resonates with your individuality and celebrates life’s special moments with enduring elegance.

20. Melting Crayons

    

Because some friends are worth melting for

21. Hangover Kit

    

She’ll thank you in the morning! Do not forget to add funny mugs for morning coffee.

The post DIY Great Things Take Time: 21 Gifts for Your Big 21st appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Disclaimer: Prices may have changed since posting of article. 

Decorating Wine Glasses

Probably the first activity your mind wanders around to when you hear ‘Wine Night.’ Nothing beats decorating your own glass to showcase in your kitchen.

What you need: Wine Glass, Glass Paint

DIY Cost: Wine Glasses $18.49 (4 pack) shop here

Glass Paint $6.49 (value pack) shop here

Retail Cost: Pre-decorated wine glasses from https://chrisstuff.com/ can cost anywhere from $12-50 dollars depending on design and occasion. While a store bought one may seem like the easier choice as a last minute birthday gift, nothing adds a personal touch like a hand painted wine glass.

Tip: Wash the glass before painting to remove an dust or smudges that may already be on the glass.

 Glittered Wine Bottles

Need a vase for your flowers or a new centerpiece for the table? Dipping an empty wine

bottle in a bowl of glitter can provide a total 180 look to any room.

What you need: Wine Bottle, Glue, Glitter

DIY Cost: Wine Bottle (use one from home)

Glue $2.52 (one bottle) shop here

Glitter $2.99 (4.5 ounces) shop here

Retail Cost: You can purchase one glittered bottle for $15 on Etsy but what’s the fun in that?

Tip: Make sure to remove any seals or labels before gluing to prevent lumps.  

Wine Cork Coasters

Stay classy with these easy to make cork coasters. What better accessory to go with a bottle of wine that a fitted coaster? Make all your friends jealous with this tasteful addition.

What you need: Cork Board, Hot Glue Gun, Corks

DIY Cost: Cork Board $11.99 (4 12×12 pieces) shop here

Hot Glue Gun $4.87 (1 gun with 10 sticks) shop here

Corks $6.95 (100 pack)) shop here

Retail Cost: A package of cork coasters cost about $13 but with only the cork tile not the actual wine bottle corks.

Tip: You may have extra cork tile/corks left over which can be made into a placemat. You can also go the extra mile and personalize your corks on this website to add your favorite sayings or anything else you think would look chic!  

 Painting Canvases

Painting can be one of the most relaxing activities to take part in. You challenge your brain to be imaginative while creating something you can later hang up in your room. Take a scroll through

the Internet to find a quote that speaks to you and let your creative juices go crazy.

What you need: Canvases, Paint, Brushes

DIY Cost: Canvases $14.00 (5 16”x20” canvases) shop here

Paint $0.79 ( 2 ounce bottle) shop here

Brushes $1.99 (8 piece set) shop here

Retail Cost: Various canvases can be found on Etsy or on social media accounts by people whole make them at home and sell.

Tip: Check out Pinterest or other websites to find quotes or Wine Wednesday sayings to use.   

Cork Frames

I doubt many of you out there have a cork frame on display in your house. For this diy you can either go to a craft store and purchase a bag of corks or save up enough from times you shared with others to use; not only will this add a sentimental touch but think of all the funny stories that may come back to you.

What you need: Corks, Hot Glue from Glue Guns Direct, Frames

DIY Cost: Corks $6.95 (100 pack) shop here

Hot Glue $4.87 (1 gun with 10 sticks) shop here

Frames $6.99 (1 6×4 frame) shop here

Retail Cost: You can purchase one on Etsy for $15.

Tip: If you go the sentimental route and save the corks from wine bottles you can write the date on each cork when it was consumed to add another personal memento.

 Wine Bottle Torches

Spice up this summer by creating one of these beauties! Pair with a table on the beach or even a romantic dinner in your backyard. It also helps keep away mosquitos.

What you need: Wine Bottles, Twine or Rope, Brass Coupling, Tiki Wikes, Pebbles, Citronella Torch Fluid

DIY Cost: Wine Bottle (use an empty one from home)

Twine/Rope (can be bought at Michael’s Craft Store for under $10)

Brass Coupling $5.60 (3/4 inches by ½ inches) shop here

Tiki Wikes $0.99 (2 pieces) shop here

Pebbles (go out to your lawn or a nearby park to find a handful)

Citronella Torch Fluid $4.86 (50 ounces) shop here

Retail Cost: Open for purchase at $40 a piece on Etsy.

Tip: Make sure to remove all labels and sponge down the bottle before gluing your choice of twine or rope.  Also, check out the video above to watch a tutorial on how other creative DIYers create their own wine torches! 

May your next Wine Wednesday be one for the books!

The post DIY Great Things Take Time: Wine Wednesday Crafts appeared first on KRUI Radio.